The Return of Darkness
by Cosmosphere
Summary: When Yami Bakura returns and is on the attack, Yugi and the gang must stop him, without losing Yugi's millenium puzzle in the process.
1. The Threat

Yugi and Joey walk alongside each other, Tea and Tristan following a stride behind. A cool, mild breeze sweeps by. Little did they know one stealthy tailed them like a shadow.

"What was that?" Yugi asked.

"Hmm..." said Joey. "I don't hear anything. But I _smell_ something! Ehh... mushroom pizza!"

Yugi was about to say that was not what he meant, but then -

"There it is again!" said Yugi as they rounded a corner.

A scuffling, rushing noise echoed behind them.

"Show yourself!" hollered Tristan, whirling around.

A figure dashed behind them, and grabbed Tea.

"L-let me go!" cried Tea, struggling.

Tristan, Joey and Yugi turned in alarm, and there stood Bakura in the serene morning, shattering the calm. For this was not the good, kind Bakura they had befriended. The cold glare, so unlike Bakura, could only mean one thing: Yami Bakura had returned.

"Just because I'm a girl," warned Tea, "Doesn't mean I can't hurt you!"

Yugi, Joey and Tristan looked on angrily.

"Let her go!" yelled Yugi.

_The fools!_ thought Yami Bakura. _They cannot oppose me!_ "I summon Berserk Dragon!" roared Yami Bakura. "Arise, my monster!"

Then came a fierce head of jaws, the arms, legs, and mighty tail. The card shone with a pale, yellow light, illuminating the great beast from beneath.

People stopped and stared. There were murmurs and whispers on the sidewalks and in the streets.

"Mommy, look! Duelists," said one little girl, pointing. For Yugi, Joey and Tristan, her voice came as though through water instead of air. Bakura would answer for whatever he was about to do, for they knew it couldn't be good.

Tea saw the dragon and squirmed with apprehension, even though she was already squirming to get away from the evil Bakura.

"Choose, Yugi!" grinned Yami Bakura menacingly. "Concede to my demands, or little Tea will _perish!_"

Once, Yugi mused, before Yami and his friends who had made him stronger, these words would have struck him like a tsunami. But now, he was pure defiance, and though he feared for Tea's life, he would not let any harm befall her. No, he could not...!

"No!" cried Yugi, Tristan and Joey in unison.

"Yes," sneered Yami Bakura. "And my demands are... Yugi Motou."

"Me?" asked Yugi uncertainly, losing some of his resolve in his surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You will come with me," grinned Yami Bakura, "As my captive!"

_I don't want Tea hurt,_ thought Yugi. _What choice do I have?_

"Well little Yugi," said Yami Bakura in a poisonously sweet voice. "You're taking long enough to decide..."

A stone dropped into and chilled Yugi's heart.

"...Maybe you need more... _convincing_." With that, he violently tightened his grip on Tea with a malevolent grin.

Tea, however, gasped, "N-no... don't listen to him!"

"Tea!" yelled Yugi.

"Are you okay?" Joey hollered.

"_Tea _can respond however she likes," smiled Yami Bakura. "But the truth remains – you will be putting her in in danger unless you surrender, mortal fools!"


	2. A Little Misplaced

_Yugi_, Yami said to Yugi, _We have to stop him. Whatever he has planned is probably an attempt to steal the millunium puzzle. He must not get its power._

_He's not going to get Tea or you, _Yugi thought back.

Yami came out, fusing with Yugi. Streaks of blonde hair grew over the black portion of Yugi's hair, shimmering in the morning sun. He faced Yami Bakura on the sidewalk where they stood.

"Enough!" he said to Yami Bakura. "I challenge you to a duel, but before we duel, you let Tea go! And if I win, you must go away and never disturb us again!"

"And if _I _win, I shall take your millenium puzzle," said Yami Bakura with determination.

Yami's spirit nodded at Yugi's. _Are you sure?_ Yugi asked.

_Yes_, Yami Yugi replied.

"All right," Yami Yugi told Bakura. "Now let Tea go!"

"Not yet," sneered Yami Bakura.

"Why, you -" Yami Yugi began.

"Yug'," Joey interrupted, "Are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry," said Yami Yugi. "I'll win."

"I wouldn't count on it, you pathetic ignoramus," Yami Bakura said. "If you think you can beat me, you're a fool. I know exactly how to bring you down. Prepare yourself." His millenium ring began to glow. "Heh heh," he laughed quietly.

"Uh?" Yami didn't like the way Yami's talk had suddenly changed into that quiet laugh. Did he know something they didn't?

"This will be a double duel, little Yugi."

"Hold on, Bakura," Yami said, "You need a partner for a double-duel." _Something feels wrong,_ he thought.

"I already have one!" announced Yami Bakura with a cold chuckle. "Tristan!"

"What...?" Yami whispered.

Joey, Tea and Yami Yugi turned to stare at Tristan in disbelief as Tristan's soul floated, looking startled, above his body, which began to walk slowly and mechanically to Yami Bakura's side.

"Tristan!" yelled Joey, running up to him.

_I'm fine_, Tristan's soul assured him. _Just a little misplaced, thank you_.

Joey saw him and relief poured into him.

"Stop me if you've seen this before," Yami Bakura smirked.

_How could I forget_, thought Yugi. _When Pegasus took his soul, Kaiba became a mindless slave_.

"Back in Pegasus' castle, I was merely biding my time," Yami Bakura said. "I could've taken over that weakling Ryo anytime I'd wished. Pegasus took many souls, but Pegasus' bag of tricks wasn't enough to prevent me from claiming my prize -" Yami Bakura looked at them with ferocity - "His millenium eye!"

Still held, Tea said incredulously, "You took his millenium eye?"

_So that's why Pegasus was so unwell after I beat him, _thought Yugi.

"I'll duel wicha, Bakura... thingy," Joey said fiercely. "You've always been watching my back, Tristan. Now it's my turn to be there for _you_ and cream dis guy so bad he won't know what hittem!"

Tristan smiled at Joey, who returned the smile with a thumbs up.

"Ha haha!" laughed Yami Bakura, not letting go of Tea. "How touching. This shall be a shadow game. If I lose, I will be sent to the shadow realm, but if myself and my pawn here win, Yugi will be sent to the shadow realm and I will take his millenium puzzle!"

A strange resolve fixed onto Tea's feature when he said this, but Yami Bakura didn't notice.

"But that's not all!" Yami Bakura added. "Because I know you two so well, I'm going to add another twist. If one of you is incompetent enough to lose all their life points, their teammate will be sent to the shadow realm. And if your life points are attacked directly, then the life points drop, but the other player feels the force of the attack!

"Dat's crazy!" Joey cried vehemently.

_This doesn't look too good, but I'll find a way, _thought Yami Yugi. _I know I will._


	3. Tea's Decision

"All right, Bakura," said Yami Yugi. "We accept your challenge. Now release Tea!"

"Hmph," Yami Bakura muttered. "Very well then."

Tea looked determined. As soon as she was free, she walked a small distance away and then turned to face him. The same resolve was on her face as earlier, when Yami Bakura first told the duelists the terms of this duel.

"Wait," she said, and everyone looked at her. "_I'll _duel you."

"And why would I want to do that?" sneered Yami Bakura.

Tea turned to her friends, and they looked at her intensely. As she looked at them, her face softened.

"I can't let you risk both your souls and your millenium puzzle." Tea said firmly. "Not unless this evil Bakura defeats me. No, I won't let it happen!"

"Tea, be careful!" Joey said.

Tristan, still floating, frowned.

"And this fool, I will return to his body now," Yami Bakura said. "I have no further use for him."

Tristan's eyes where he was standing next to Bakura lit up again, to his friends' great relief, and he walked over to them and glared angrily at Yami Bakura.

"You know," Yami Bakura said with a slight grin on his face, "I think I like him better this way."

Tristan's eyes narrowed. What was _that _supposed to mean?

_It means I can cause you pain in your body,_ Yami Bakura thought. _Oh, how much pain I will cause you and your friends who remain in their bodies_.

"A little flea like you won't give me a challenge," he said, "But I will be glad to cut your life short, to be bound in the darkness of the shadow realm! Ha ha haha!"

Yugi, Joey and Tristan looked at Tea with slight alarm.

"No, Tea!" hollered Yugi, "I've dueled with him before, and he's powerful! Please let me handle this!"

"No, I have to do this," said Tea, her voice trembling slightly. "I've been training, and I think I have a good chance."

"All right, then," said Yami Bakura, grinning evilly again. "I'll set three cards face-down and one monster face-down. I look forward to your terror, fool! I end my turns. Let's see what little Tea's planning!"

"You're going to be sorry you ever messed with me!" cried Tea. "I'm going to stand up for myself and for my friends! I also place three cards face-down and set one defense-position monster. Now I activate Solemn Wishes! This trap adds 500 to my life points every time I draw a card or cards. I end my turn."

"Yeah, Tea, great opening move!" cheered Tristan. "Way to go!"

"Be careful," warned Joey.

Yami Bakura began to guffaw. Then he said, "You didn't think I'd actually make this a regular duel, did you? Heh heh heh...!"

"Urgh," Tea said.

Joey, Yugi and Tristan were suddenly more apprehensive than before.

"No, this is a shadow duel!" grinned Yami Bakura. "And so, with the power of my millenium ring, come forth, shadows! Envelop us in darkness, so the loser will pay with her soul!"

"Oh no, not this!" Tea yelled.

"Ha-hah!" laughed Yami Bakura triumphantly. "And now, I summon my Man-Eating Treasure Chest. Hm... I end my turn. Go – while you still can!"

"I will!" exclaimed Tea passionately. "Now, I sacrifice my face-down monster, in order to summon Marie, the Fallen One!"

Marie had 1700 attack points, while Man-Eating Treasure Chest had 1600.

_There might be a trap, _Tea thought, _But I'll take the risk if he means to sacrifice this monster to bring out an even stronger one!_

"I activate Sword of Deep-Sea," announced Tea, "And I attack Man-Eating Treasure Chest!"

"Not so fast!" sneered Yami Bakura. "I activate my Reinforcements trap card, which increases Man-Eating Treasure Chest's attack force by 500 points for this turn!"

"Hold on!" Tea said. "Reveal Seven Tools of the Bandit. Now I can pay 1000 life points to negate the activation of your Reinforcements!" _There! _Tea thought. _Even if I paid so many life points, I think it'll serve him right._

"Now attack again, Marie the Fallen One!" said Tea. "Destroy Man-Eating Treasure Chest."

Yami Bakura threw back his head and laughed. "Reinforcements was only a test. I knew you had face-down cards too, so I had another. Activate Rush Recklessly! This increases by 700 the attack of my monster to 2300 attack points for this turn! Your minute Marie has a grand total of 2200 from your Sword of Deep-Sea; so falls Marie the Fallen One! Hah ha ha!"

Marie attacked the Treasure Chest and broke into a million digital pieces, a look of surprise momentarily on her face.

"So ends the first round," grinned Yami Bakura at Tea. "And you have no monsters to defend your life points. How does it feels, Tea, to be on the brink of destruction?!"

Tea was very shaken. "I'm not beaten yet!" she declared as her life points dropped to 7400.

"Oh, but you are," said Yami Bakura devillishly. "Look at my life points! They're still at 8000. You couldn't even take one point!"

"We'll see," said Tea, ending her turn.

_We'll see._


	4. A Losing Battle

"_Now_," said Bakura, drawing his card. "I summon Dark Elf, a powerful creature with 2000 attack points! I must pay 1000 life points to attack with it, but it is worth it to see that gleam of fear in your eyes!"

"Ah-h-!" Tea gasped.

"ATTACK HER DIRECTLY, MY DARK BEING!" cried Bakura. "DARK ENERGY WAVE!"

Tea watched with trepidation as a power came towards her in the playing field that was darkness. It looked like a distorting wave of energy sweeping towards her. Then it hit her, and she heard herself cry out.

"AAAAAAHH!"

"I'm not finished, worm! ATTACK HER NOW, MAN-EATING TREASTURE CHEST! VENGEANCE BITE ATTACK!"

Tea quickly braced herself, but the attack was still overwhelming. She cried out again, almost losing her balance, almost wishing her friends could hear her.

"Can you see what's going on in there?" Tristan asked Yugi, who was no longer transformed.

"No..." Yugi answered. "But I think – something bad happened to Tea."

"What is it...?" asked Joey.

"I think..." Yugi gulped. "I think she's losing."

Together they stared grimly at the ball of darkness before them, like a giant lightbulb of darkness.

Meanwhile, Yami Bakura set one card face-down and ended his turn.

"There will be plenty of pain later," he assured her, "Once you're safely tucked away in the shadow realm, where you belong!"

Tea's life points were at 3800. She realized she was trembling all over. But...

"It's far from over!" she yelled.

"Oh?" asked evil Bakura.

"I draw," said Tea, instead of answering. "Which, as you know, means I get 500 life points from Solemn Wishes. Also, my Marie the Fallen One's effect gives me 200 life points for each of my standby phases, so now I have 4500 life points."

Yami Bakura laughed. "It won't save you. I shall see to it that you have lots of time to be afraid before darkness overpowers you."

_Oh no, _Tea thought. _There are... no monsters in my hand! I have none on the field! On my next turn...!_

"I... end my turn," Tea whispered.

Yami Bakura roared with laughter. "You are making this much too easy for me, little fool! I summon La Jinn, the Mystical Genie of the Lamp!"

"Kaiba uses that fiend monster..." observed Tea.

"And it's the last monster you'll ever see!" roared Bakura. "DARK ELF, ATTACK HER DIRECTLY!"

"AAAAAAH!" screeched Tea.

"You have 2500 life points left, Tea," said Bakura softly. "Does it thrill you, counting down your life points? Does it send a chill to your heart...?"

Tea growled. He wasn't going to get a reaction from her, that much was certain.

"MAN-EATING TREASURE CHEST, GO!" yelled Bakura in what was almost frenzied joy. "ATTACK!"

Tea was knocked backwards by the force, then slowly got up, shaking madly and so numb that she could hardly stand.

"Had enough torture?" asked Bakura, grinning. "But I'm afraid I have one more monster. Tea, say hello to the Genie that will seal your fate!"

Tea could only moan, her life points down to 900. This was bad. She'd told herself she wouldn't let this creep win, but now...

"La Jinn -" Bakura said softly.

Tea squeezed her eyes shut.

"...No, don't attack," said Yami Bakura, finally. "I wish to drag it out a bit longer... cause your friends a little worry..."

Tea wasn't really relieved; she knew how this would end. And the sadistic enjoyment Bakura took in her downfall made her slightly sick.

"I-I get 700 points from Solemn Wishes and Marie the Fallen One," she said.

Bakura watched the girl in amusement.

"I set a monster face-down in defense mode. I end my turn." Though hurt, she looked up at Bakura, her eyes blazing. She had 1600 life points left.

Yugi, Joey and Tristan were all very uneasy now. They watched grimly, fascinated, as the dark shadows drifted and swirled around the duelists inside. They watch with wonder, just praying that Tea would be the victor.


	5. Her Downfall

"What's happening?!" cried Joey.

"Something... really bad," answered Tristan. "Something -"

"_Tea!_" exclaimed Yugi. "I can feel it – she's losing. Badly!"

"Grrrrr... I should put that creep in his place!" growled Joey with a clenched fist.

"La Jinn, attack her face-down monster!" hollered Yami Bakura.

"You attack my Kiseitai," Tea said weakly. "Its effect equips it to your attacking monster, giving me life points equal to half the attack of La Jinn during... your standby phases."

Bakura broke into a hearty laugh. "You're no fun at all!" he cried. "It looks, little Tea, as though I'll just have to dispose of you."

Tea's eyes clouded over. There was no hope left. She could at least go with honor.

"Dark Elf has the highest attack power. Dark Elf -"

But before Dark Elf could even attack, Tea collapsed. _My friends_, she thought, _I'm sorry._

"Well, ha ha ha!" shrieked Yami Bakura. "I did not have need to strike the final blow! She is gone and lost now in the shadow realm, and that's all!"

Tristan, Joey, and Yugi all choked at the same time.

"No..." whispered Yugi.

"_Look!_" Tristan yelled.

The darkness slowly, purposefully, crept down from around the duelists. And there, lying injured on the ground, was... Tea.

"Tea!" Yugi and Joey cried.

"No, Tea lost!" exclaimed Tristan, shocked. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

"There's _nothing_ _you can do!_" laughed Bakura, stepped away from Tea.

"You... you monster!" raged Joey. "Why don't you pick on a duelist your own size?"

"Very well, then," replied Bakura. "She posed no challenge. Maybe you will."

"Joey..."

"Good luck, man," said Tristan.

"We will duel," said Bakura, "And I will annihilate you. Ha ha hhha haha hah!"


End file.
